portable

I can understand gaming rigs, large behemoth machines intended to be the end-all and be-all of computers. I know where ultrabooks stand, super thin computers that offer a balance of portability and performance. But it’s hard figuring out where a high-end gaming laptop lies.

That’s the issue facing the Samsung Series 7 Gamer laptop, an ambitious piece of tech that is every bit as powerful as most desktop but fits in a frame that’s somewhat portable. It’s massive weighing in at 7.71 pounds and featuring a 17.3-inch screen. You can fit it in a large backpack but expect it to weigh you down. I can only imagine the looks you would get pulling this out at the cafe and playing Diablo III.

Every game that focuses on user-generated content comes out incomplete. I’m not saying that it’s a flaw; it’s part of the design. Sure, the stages developed by designers are impressive, but the best stuff happens when you put the game out in the wild and players have a chance to use the tools the team created.

That’s what excites me most about Sound Shapes, the latest project from Jonathan Mak and Queasy Games. The creators ofEveryday Shooter are taking their game design sensibilities to the PlayStation Vita and the side-scrolling platformer. The result is shaping up to be one of the most-anticipated titles on Sony’s new handheld.

At a recent event, I had a chance to check out Sound Shapes with Zach Wood, senior producer for Sony Computer Entertainment of America. He showed off how the title evolved since I last saw it at E3. It has more polish to it with a presentation that makes sense. Each world in the campaign is represented as a record. Players can move the needle to switch levels and even scratch on the virtual vinyl like a DJ.

You can’t exactly get a real hands-on impression of the Nintendo 3DS without actually having the system in your hands. In fact, you can’t even even get a real eyes-on impressions because of the 3-D screen. The next best thing I can offer folks is this video, which shows co-workers initial reactions to seeing the system. I gave them the system and videotaped it. Keep in mind, this isn’t the gamer crowd. It’s a large swathe of people. Some had no idea what the Nintendo 3DS was or what they would be viewing.

As I mentioned in my review, the reactions differed for every person. Some people loved the 3-D; others hated it. It’s one of the reasons I say that the 3-D is not for everyone.

Face Raiders:This is another release that comes preinstalled on the Nintendo 3DS. The game is a shooter but the gimmick is that the enemies are your friends. Riffing offPhoto Dojo,
the do-it-yourself fighting game, players take mugshots of their friends and Face Raiders turns the images into enemies in an augmented reality shooter. Players will have to tap the right shoulder button to fire at enemies. They’ll have to physically move around and dodge enemy fire. There’s even a boss fight at the end, where players have to shoot at spiked balls so that they fly toward the big bad, damaging it. For all intents and purposes, it works and it even excels if you’re playing on a swivel chair.

It seems almost annual now — a new year and a new version of the Nintendo DS comes out. Nintendo’s almost Apple-like in its offerings, and judging by the sales figures, it’s a move that works. On March 28, the Japanese company will release the Nintendo DSi XL (Yeah, that’s a mouthful.), the hand-held’s fourth iteration.

I had a chance to play around with the bigger, badder system this week at the Nintendo Media Summit. My first impression when I saw it on the table next to a Nintendo DSi was “Whoa, that’s big.” No longer pocket-sized, the new hand-held boasts a screen that’s 93 percent larger than the latest system.

For comparison’s sake, I placed my iPhone next to the DSi XL, and Nintendo’s screen was bigger. Add an exact same one on top and the thing almost looks like a miniature netbook.

Holding it in my hand, the portable almost felt like one. There’s a heft to it, but it’s not a dog-killer. I can’t imagine holding that thing up on a coach for long. Instead, it seems as if it’d be better used if it were laid on a table. Other than the size, the system’s buttons and such feel the same. Unfortunately, there’s no Game Boy Advance slot.

The best cell phone game Iâ€™ve played was a golf title. I donâ€™t remember the exact name of it, but it became an addiction on an eight-hour bus trip and an obsession in the weeks and months I had the thing. It was a simple. Just aim the shot, time the power meter and hit the button.

Itâ€™s formula that hasnâ€™t changed much since the original Golf on the NES. The only thing thatâ€™s different now is that the courses look prettier, the physics have gotten more realistic and fans can duel each other online.

Playing Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 felt like that same cell phone title except this one was on polygonal steroids. If the goal of PSP titles is to make the console experience portable, then this game accomplishes a lot. On the other hand, if players are looking for a one-of-a-kind experience they should look elsewhere.

You’d think with a big round number like firmware update v4.00, Sony would come up with some amazing improvements. Well, there’s nothing hugely significant right now. According to the PlayStation blog, the new PlayStation Portable update gives fans a Google-like search on the Xross Media Bar and the ability to change the viewing speeds from video coming on the Memory Stick.

Eh, not too impressive. Still no word on the in-game XMB for the PlayStation 3.

As Apple’s new iPhone inches closer to a likely release, there’s a debate stirring up about what these means for the games industry, especially Nintendo.

Forbe’s Brian Caulfield thinks that Nintendo should be very afraid of Apple. He says that with the software update and the function to download new apps, the iPhone can now play portable games and that can be a scary thing for maker of all things Mario.

Nevertheless, Apple is the first to master a pair of tricks that have made Nintendo’s latest products so compelling–a touch-screen interface and the ability to pick up on motion. The key difference: Unlike Nintendo, which has created a gaming console with a motion-sensitive controller and a touch-sensitive handheld gaming system, Apple has crammed both capabilities into its iPhone and iPod Touch.

Eh, to me, it sounds like wishful thinking from an Apple fanboy. It really isn’t much about the technology but what you do with it that matters. There have been plenty of Game Boy/Nintendo DS killers just like Microsoft and Creative say they have built an iPod-killer with the Zune or Zen.

It’s one of the main components of those trendy games that urge you to play daily and improve something about yourself. With Brain Age, it was all about sharpening your mind. In Wii Sports, it was all about marking the progress with a particular activity.

Now, two new titles are taking the lowly graph and using it to help you lose weight. With Wii Fit and Ubisoft’s My Weight-Loss Coach, players will chart their progress as they burn calories with their respective peripherals.

I was a little apprehensive about the Guitar Hero: On Tour. I didn’t see a purpose for bringing a great console experience into the portable realm. I also didn’t see a need for a peripheral. There were already great guitar engines out for DS such as Jam Sessions.

When the first shots of the game with the peripheral showed up on the Web, I wasn’t sold on it. The set up looked more like an over-blown accordion than a real guitar. It looked too contrived.

But when the folks at Vicarious Visions showed off actual gameplay, I had an inkling of hope.